Efeitos do óleo de capivara sobre o fígado, tecido adiposo e parâmetros metabólicos em camundongos C57Bl/6 alimentados com dieta hiperlipídica

Abstract

The greater availability of high energy density foods as well as sedentary living habits introduced a new threat to human survival: obesity and its comorbidities. This disease can lead to fat accumulation in the visceral adipose tissue and liver, which are closely associated with metabolic risk factors. The liver is the site of production two of the key components of Metabolic Syndrome, fasting plasma glucose and very low density lipoprotein, which contains most of the triglycerides present in the blood. Overweight or obese people develop hepatic steatosis, which is characterized by increased lipids levels on liver. Consequently, in this condition, this organ is susceptible to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The progression of the disease is primarily due to the accumulation of triglycerides and free fatty acids in hepatocytes as a consequence of insulin resistance, increased dietary influx and hepatic lipogenesis. Over the time this may generate a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis which involves lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation, resulting in damage to hepatocytes. Researchers have used high-fat diets to generate obese rodents models, and thus, study the pathophysiology of obesity and possible treatments for this disorder. The use of polyunsaturated fatty acids as a treatment modality has attracted considerable interest because of its prominent anti-obesogenic effects. In this sense, we theorize that capybara oil may act on the metabolic changes imposed by obesity, since this oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. The objective of the present work was to investigate the possible effects of the administration of capybara oil on obese C57Bl/6 mice. Were analyzed the parameters inherent to body mass, glucose tolerance, blood pressure, plasma levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, liver enzymes, volume density of hepatic steatosis, tissue inflammation, mitochondrial respiration, hepatocyte ultrastructure and finally the involvement of antioxidants enzyme activity related to oxidative stress. Capybara oil restores metabolic changes caused by obesity. Our findings indicate that capybara oil has positive effects on liver histopathology, improving hepatic steatosis and degree of tissue inflammation, and restoring abnormalities in mitochondrial morphology and function.